Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-09-08
THE WAYS OF sNoss
Frantic Efforts Of Ambttious People e.
Get Into Fashionable SocSety.

Get into tos6t0uo01O 8OctOty.
That the most humiliating feature
OF modern society is to be found in
the articles of those who wish to
"get on" in the fashionable world
has often enough been remarked; yet
there is still room for amazement ut
the ingenuity of the devices to which
snObs will resort We have had
good many weddings recently in the
neighborhood of Boston. and among
other brides of high social position
has been Miss x. whose family is
rather noted for its exclusiveness.
When the invitations for the wedding
were sent out, Mrs. A.. . woman who
is really devoured by social ambition,
was not included in the list of guests.
She had met Mrs. X. and had some
what Overstepped the strict proprie-
ties of etiquette in the manner in
which she had called upon that ex-
elusive lady. Now. she was doubt
less much chagrined at not receiving
a card for wedding which was to be
a very large one. but she was by no
means ready to abandon the field. On
the day after the invitations went out,
Mrs. A. sent Miss X. valuable and
well-selected piece uf plate as a we'd
ding gift. Miss X. in the privacy of
a select circle of intimate friends, de-
clared that she would not have the
present. 1t was urged upon her that
she certainly could not return it.
But l will not acknowledge itl'
she declared, angrily.
But then, my DEAR" her mother
said. "you will be putting yourself in
the wrong. You can not be rude. and
especially to a nobody like Mrs. A."
Il don't care" persisted the daugh-
ter, Il will not invite her any way.
This is my wedding. and l will have
whom please. She can't buy an in
vitatiOn with her trumpery old pres
ent.'
But, of course. in the end. Mrs. A.
was invited. and she appeared at the
wedding with the air Of being the most
intimate friend of the family. 1t
amused those who knew the story. but
Mrs. A. is clever enough to make the
fact that she was there tell for a good
deal in her struggle up the social
heights.
A still more amazing trick was re-
sorted to by Boston lady to get to
reception where she wished to appear.
She wrote to the hostess, to whom she
had never been presented, that she had
a lady high in Washington society
staying with her. and that it was so
much the custom in Washington TO at
tend receptions unlimited that her
friend had seen no improperly in tell
ing some acquaintances that she
would meet them at this gathering.
The note went on to say that as hostess
the writer was put in so awkward a po-
sition that she had ventured to lay the
case before the lady giving the enter
tainment, hoping that she would be
willing to send cards to herself and the
stranger. On this occasion the scheme
was failure. The note was answered
merely by formal regret that the list
of guests having been made up before
the receipt of Mrs. IS note it was
impossible to comply with her request.
The lady from Washington probably
never knew of the use made of her |
name. At least she did not present |
herself at the reception.
And speaking of the Washington
vice of intruding upon social gather
ings, which has become SO much of a
scandal that it is strange hostesses at
the capital do not in self-defense resort
to the device of demanding cards at the
door, lady of that city told me re-
Gently of her experience.
IL sent out invitations" she said,
'to eight hundred. Anywhere but in
Washington that would have meant
about six hundred guests. l ordered
supper for a thousand. About twelve
hundred came. When supper was
served mob precipitated itself on the
dining room, and IF course the unin-
vited were first on hand. Not very
long after Invent myself to see that the
wife of Senator O.. whom / especially
wanted to be polite to. had some
thing to eat. The dining-room looked
as if it had been sacked by fam
shed army. l looked about, and 1 said
10 her Mrs. O.. there is candle on
the table. if you are Russian enough to
Eat il; and over there is half an
That is positively all there
was left. and the caterer said l was
fortunate that the mob did not carry
IF the dishes and the furniture. Party
giving in Washington has come to
mere opening your house to mob of
people you wouldn't know for the
world, and for my part am sick of
t. l shall give dinner parties hereaf-
er. That will take care of the people
most care about. and the rest must
20"
Happily we have not come to this in
Boston, but people do make frantic
,ffor<, 90 not into <bo DrODor cote 70. |